Editor,
On behalf of my friend, Ricola Willie - whose work Joseph Basso condemned in his extremely ignorant and judgmental letter to the Daily Lobo - I have to respond.
The gallery where my friend's work was displayed is on the third floor of the Student Union Building, somewhat out of the way of foot traffic and nowhere near the food court or the convenience store area. I sincerely doubt most students ever find their way that far upstairs, making me think Basso must have lost his way.
The gallery is in a bad location, but art students have a need to display art. Since the original gallery was taken away from us to make room for that ridiculous gym downstairs, we have to show work wherever we can. The art in question is no exception.
The art that was considered so shocking by Basso is part of a long and highly esteemed tradition of the nude in Western civilization, reaching back to the ancient Greeks and beyond. This tradition includes the idea of the human figure, male and female, as a thing of beauty.
Figure drawing is a basic aspect of art education, something nearly all art students learn, not for the sake of titillation - the realm of the pornographic - but for the discipline. Figure drawing teaches the appreciation of light, shadow, line, and a plethora of other artistic concerns. Granted, Willie's use of the figure is not typical of standard figure drawing - he does not work from live models, for instance. His work is unique to him and is quite beautiful.
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I wish Basso good luck finding another university where he and his delicate sensibilities can be protected from art and culture. May I suggest Bob Jones University?
For my part, I am thankful UNM provides students a place to be exposed to a wide array of choices.
Betty Blackburn
UNM student
